Sengoku Horizon

Look towards the Horizon

The Warring States Period: Fierce warlords fought for control of Japan, and many would perish. When a warrior falls, where does the passion they once held go? Possibly into something dear such as a favorite weapon or heirloom. These heirlooms have been labeled as “relics”, and those that carry them are labeled as “Scions." Recently more and more of these special relics have been activating, signaling the start of a great change as ancient power meets the modern world!

After just a little while of using the school’s internet for communicating on the message boards, Mikachi had finally been able to gain a good result from a person willing to craft the sword. He emitted a light smile over his features in finally realizing that he hadn’t had to use the clan’s blade. It was an honor to have such a blade, but Mikachi didn’t wish to take the risk of breaking it. He was not really well-versed in the concept of fighting with a sword, or fighting at all currently. His skills revolved mostly on the mundane points of life where he was able to cook, clean, garden and patch up a bruise or two.

However, when it came to fighting, that had been something that he often learned about in his free time. Soon after the last reply from the stranger, Mikachi set his tachi blade in-sheath just onto his bed before collecting his essentials, as well as his satchel before moving on out of his dorm. As he made his way out of the student dorms, Mikachi continued off to the area just around the main building, heading to the library just to the right.

It was as if things were starting off quite well for Mikachi. Once he’s able to get his blade, he can finally start studying up on various techniques and tactics to use for his future training. But that was thinking for another time. Mikachi looked along the aisles of the library, quite surprised at the assortment of books that had been inside the library. It took a bit of work, however, he finally found a book that had explained about the histories of swords, their designs and their names. Such a large amount of information in a book was pretty useful.

Making his way to have a look around, Mikachi finally made his way to the back area that had been set with various tables and chairs. He noticed not too many had been around, but surely whoever this person that came to help could spot him out. The book he had was more of a tome and each page gave a picture of differing blades. Mikachi took a seat, setting his things down and flipped through each page with a careful eye, glancing from the tome and up just in case anyone had been wandering about.

Two such factions seemed to be hellbent against him, one in the light...and one in the shadows. At first, it was just the quiet ones, but thhen he'd managed to anger some other students. They were on the look-out for him now, those students. And the others? They weren't students. They were staff. They were the swiftest and most-dangerous staff around. And ever since he had ended up in the Shogun's presence - for reasons he was not allowed to speak to anyone about - he had been more wary of possible attack than ever before.

It wasn't paranoia. It wasn't a conspiracy. It was just people being people. They wanted something from him. Well, one faction did. The other just watched his every move...and reacted accordingly. The only good news - which he could not divulge to anybody - was that they were not Koga Ninjas. Yes, it was true, but unfortunately...they were campus ninjas. He use to think they were confined to the library, but they were everywhere, and nowhere. They tagged him for being loud in the library, and they ticketed his Pale Rider...which was currently playing the part of The Amazing Technicolor Rider, thanks to his impromptu paint job.

Oh, and the other group? They're the Artillery Club. We'll get to that later.

This young man of black hair and plain clothes snuck into the library, nnay loped in like a wolf, then proceeded to zip from aisle to aisle to pick out books that he thought he would need to borrow...before heading to the back tables and finding a lone young man reading from a big book of weapons. That had to be the guy. He put down the tower of books he'd stumbled back here with, got into a crouch on the seat opposite from the boy, and extended his hand.

"You be the guy who was asking about the sword. I'm Roshi. You're not in the Artillery Club, are you?"

Kodachi, Ōdachi, Uchigatana. There were so many various versions of the Tachi blade that Mikachi hardly even recognized as he skimmed through each of the pages. There were some masterpieces that had been portrayed in various pages, but the one that specifically had gotten his attention was the katana. A typical curved blade with a slightly shorter blade than the Tachi blade. It seemed to be something Mikachi could work with, or at the very least, something he could learn to use.

The sound of incoming footsteps became apparent as the stranger seemed to be going from aisle to aisle. Perhaps he was a bookworm. Mikachi looked back down to the book, only to look back up once more and find a tower of books with the stranger holding them. This definitely had to be a bookworm, there was no doubt about it. Even Mikachi himself loves books to an extent, but a tower? That was a bit much. He blinked with a curious expression as the guy crouched at the other end of the table.

Listening, he finally realized that he had been the stranger from the message boards and man was he quite… average. It was surprising to Mikachi who had usually donned a dark-blue kimono, accessories and his clan’s crest. However, that could’ve been due to tradition, and there was no shame in someone wishing to remain simple in attire. Mikachi watched as the guy extended his hand before standing up and reaching over to shake it.

“Hey there Roshi, I’m Mikachi, a pleasure.” His grip on the shake was quite firm, only to be released and replaced with yet another curious expression resting on his features when he mentioned about the Artillery Club. “Not quite. I’m more into medicine and herbal studies rather than… guns and whatnot.” That had been a pretty interesting question. Maybe his attire gave off the impression that he had been from the club? Perhaps not, or maybe he had just mistaken him for someone else.

Taking a moment to sit back down and upright, Mikachi set his palms just to rest on his thighs before looking back up to Roshi. “So Roshi, how’re you doing? Have you been in the crafting profession for a while or..?” Of course, came the questions as Mikachi was just so curious, especially when meeting a new person. Although, he always kept his tone neutral, yet interested when it came to speaking. That’s usually why he sticks out amongst a crowd. Regardless, if the guy wanted to answer, it’d be his choice.

'Average' was only apt to describe his clothing. Roshi worked with materials. Some of these can stick to clothing and cause it no end of trouble, maybe even ruin it. So, ornate and stylish things are out when on the job. Then, of course, there was the fact that our boy had no clan or Scion powers. He was not special, in the sense of most of the people in Edo Bugei. Roshi was an artist, a crafter of things. He wasn't a lord, like his friend, Nobu. He wasn't the Emperor's poet, like Yumiko's father. He wasn't-

Okay, thanks to some hairy circumstances and a push from Kai, he'd make Elite. That's not the point.

The point is that Roshi will look average, and his background may BE kind of average, but he wasn't so. He was exceptional at his trade, and he had things in his life that made him...unusual. For instance, he didn't seem to judge on appearances, and by no means did he assume that the boy might be from the Artillery Club based on THAT. No no... He was basing it on the idea that one of them might be in disguise and lying in wait. But as Mikachi admitted that he was not from that club and had no interest in such, Roshi felt more at ease. Those guys...weren't very happy with him.

"Well, that's good to know."

This boy seemed friendly enough. He was starting out with a bit of conversation, even.

"I'm fine, mostly. Things get a little crazy around me sometimes, but I manage."

Manage to elude them. Manage to keep a few steps ahead of them. They'll never find out where he's hidden it. Roshi kept smiling while thinking these thoughts.

"I've been crafting for a long time, but actually charging for it is a new thing. Mostly, I make my own projects and display them around, but recently I've started to actually make things that people want and stuff."

Wait... Okay, so, it was possible that Mikachi had actually heard of this somewhere. There was talk about a guy who makes strange things and leaves them places. There was the optical illusion tarps that hid an alley, the many many many dominoes around the school one day, and so on. The clockwork Maneki Neko statue had been one of the most-recent.

Continuing to turn inside the book of weapons, Mikachi started to notice the various shapes and sizes of the weapons. There was even a sharpened tessen fan that caught his eye. He looked into it before sitting up once more and siding his eyes to the side in thought. Maybe this could be a handy weapon? But that would require that he practice continuously with the fan, and not to mention, there weren’t too many scenarios where a fan would be useful when trying to fend off against a long blade such as the Katana or Tachi blades.

Taking a brief moment to glance back up at Roshi, it would seem that Mikachi had been a tad bit more interested in the book until his eyes had been set towards Roshi’s direction. He chuckled at the comment of having things get a little crazy when Roshi had been around. What could he possibly mean by that? Hopefully, he hadn’t been one of the more rebellious or ill-willed students. Regardless, the guy was proposing that he was good at what he did, in which had been crafting. Something that Mikachi currently needed.

He wasn’t lying when it came to charging for things of his own creation. When it came to Mikachi, he’d always do trivial tasks around his province for reasonable amounts of money. There wasn’t really a set price for doing things, but some people just happened to be more generous than others. He blinked before returning back to the current conversation going on.

“Is that so? I’m sure you’d make an amazing blade then.” He exchanged a faint grin, setting a finger to his chin, along with a curious expression resting on his face. “Tell me, what kind of projects or even things have made for others? What are your favorite things to make?”

It hadn’t been hard to tell that Mikachi enjoyed questioning folks, especially when it came to them having potential in their own setting. For Roshi, it had been his crafting. If he was telling the truth, it’d be a simple set of questions to answer, hopefully even comforting if he enjoyed it.

“I’ve been here for only about a week’s time and I’m learning quite a bit from the people around the Academy. If you’re curious, I could tell you things about myself. I’ve nothing to hide so feel free.”

Roshi was fairly-confident of his skills. He'd managed to get alot of experience in, shaping and tooling things around. It was all in his head, assembling and desembling, making and unmaking. Such was his imagination, that he would see the method, clear as day in his head, and be able to work easily from there. The one thing, of course, was that he hadn't done many things for profit, which also meant...

"I haven't done many things for others, just yet. Right now, I'm just working on a whip for a friend."

And whips were a kind of complicated that were unlike any sword, to be sure. Weaving a good whip is an arduous journey up a mountain road, one in which you cannot slip up, or else you may have to start over again. Granted, you might have to do that for any sword, but forging a blade is easier to start over. True, katanas are made, layer by layer, but you can also melt them down quickly. A messed up whip has to be UNwoven.

But still, Mikachi was offering to answer any questions... Hmm, okay. What'd he wanna know? Roshi seemed to get into a thoughtful position for a moment. Then...

"You seem like someone who might be a patron of the arts, booth performance and not. Are you?"

Wow, really, Roshi? An art question? Shocking... Seriously though, Roshi has a love of the arts that stems from his mother, who IS a patron of the arts. She laughs and she loves, and she takes her mind off of serious things...like setting bones and making sure that people have enough blood to live. Hey, you'd take time off to appreciate beauty too, if you were a busy nurse.

Soon after listening in on Roshi’s response, Mikachi brought a hand covered by his surprisingly long kimono sleeve to cover his mouth, hiding his habit of lip nibbling. After a few seconds, his hand returned to rest just on the surface of the table, keeping his gaze on Roshi. Given what he could take from Roshi’s response, Mikachi thought it’d be best not to set a high expectation onto the creation of his blade. Although, Mikachi had learned never to set up expectations with people, seeing as those expectations had been meant for well-mannerisms and proper etiquette.

His eyes trailed down from time to time, continuing to have a glance from the book while still listening to Roshi. Perhaps it would’ve been better just to buy a knockoff at the nearby stores? No. He had to give more credit to Roshi. Regardless, the thought of learning to fend off with a blade proved to be a daunting task to Mikachi indeed. Proper stance, defense, offense, thrusting… and swinging? Those were the basic moves that came into his head as he thought of using a blade for combat.

His eyes trailed back up as Roshi began to speak once more. His features seemed as if he were actually enjoying the conversation, or at the very least, as much as Mikachi had hoped. Roshi’s question had surprised Mikachi. A patron of the arts? Maybe it was just his own appearance that gave off that impression, but truly it had only been Mikachi’s fashion sense. There was no such thing as being too simple or specific. However, when it comes to top-of-the-line, quality goods, Mikachi happens to keep a careful eye on his spending.

He emitted a chuckle, shaking his head slowly. “A patron? I suppose you could say my hobbies slightly revolve around the arts, sure. I enjoy a bit of writing from time to time. I can cook up a decent meal too.” His gaze was set upwards as he finished his first response. It was an interesting question, but what else could be considered apart of the arts in Mikachi’s life?“I suppose gardening could be an art? I just see it more as something to do in my free time.” And speaking of free time, perhaps he should have gotten back on the topic of the sword, but the conversation was just beginning to get interesting! His next response clearly hadn’t been thought out, but he simply went for it. “Are there any other hobbies you enjoy doing? And how long have you been in the academy? I’m going to guess you’re a second year if you’ve chosen a profession.” Along with a faint smile, Mikachi’s expression remained intrigued by the conversation at hand.

You dare to doubt the craft of Roshi Bento? Well, nnothing was thus spoken, so there was nothing to react to. That said, vocalizing such would only invigorate the guy to focus on the work and nnot take no for an answer. There was a reason he had ascended to the level of master craftsmanship. He had such an intense focus and a drive to complete a work excellently that it exceeded proper sanity. You give this young man some tools and an idea, and he shocks everyone around.

Nevermind that for now, though. To the arts! Mikachi had admitted that he did seem to enjoy the arts, though he was perhaps not entirely sure on what 'the arts' actually involved. That said, his answer brought out a nod from Roshi.

"Cooking and gardening can have an artistic flair, though I'd say gardens - especially Koi gardens - are the true art."

Those lovely and calming Koi gardens with the flowers arranged just so with a pond of fish and flowing water using the bamboo rods that go 'Doke!' every now and then. They're justy so relaxing and cool to look at... Now uhh, as Mikachi bombarded him with questions, Roshi had to shake his head and hold up three fingers.

"Third-year, actually. I skipped a grade by cramming and cramming to shoot my scores up and got set into a higher class, one year. But...hobbies?"

That put a big smile on his face. Roshi stood up on the chair now, taking up a few books in one hand from the pile. He put his fist over his heart and got started.

"I have already said that I'm into the arts, because I like to create things with my own hands, showing them to people to see what they think, but that isn't all I like to do."

Suddenly, he began to juggle the books in his hands, and juggle them well!

"I like to sing, to dance, to act and perform. Even now, I'm working on a live-action mecha-drama where salmon is king."

He suddenly shot down into a cross-legged sitting position in the chair, catching the books with fair ease.

"I like reading deep and thoughtful literature, and I like Haiku and poetry, like my friend Yumiko."

He then looked around, making sure there was nobody in the immediate vicinity. He'd been very careful not to raise his voice before, but the thump of his landing in the chair bid him to feel a little paranoid for a moment. He whispered his next words.

"By the way, you can't be loud in here, even by accident. The library has ninjas and they get angry at that sort of thing."

Koi gardens were admittedly beautiful in their own right, especially when it came to the person tending to the fish and the nearby gardens. It wasn’t a secret that Roshi definitely knew his stuff when it came to talking about art, but what was even more interesting was that he stated that he had been a third year. That’s quite a bit of time compared to Mikachi’s measly few weeks of attending the academy. To think that someone who had been attending the academy that long would be able to find the free time to sit down and have a conversation with a first-year was quite surprising.

He watched as his own response gave Roshi a sense of comfort, however, it seemed that the bit of comfort he was putting in was a bit much when Mikachi saw the large smile placed on Roshi’s features. Hopefully, he wouldn’t regret this. It was then that Roshi stood up passionately, making Mikachi’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. Roshi seemed to be quite serious, especially with that fist set on his chest. Mikachi then gave off a slight chuckle as he watched Roshi continue with his act. He was really something.

It took a moment to realize that they had both been within a library, so perhaps being loud wasn’t quite a favorable thing to do at the given moment. He continued to listen as Roshi continued to talk about his hobbies and likes, then onto the library ninjas. Ninjas? Ninjas. His eyes trailed upwards to the thought of a masked individual with a conical hat coming up to him and kicking him out of the library. He shook his head abruptly at the thought, looking back to Roshi.

“You really do seem to have quite a lot of hobbies. That’s about…” He raised his hand, counting off numbers with each finger. “...six more hobbies than me! Haha.” He laughed a bit before having his palm touch the surface of the book of weapons, looking to the katana. He blinked for a moment, staring down at the design of the simplified version of the katana before lifting the book up and showing the drawing, as well as the description of the katana just a page beside it.

Setting it down, he moved the book, sliding it over to Roshi before setting his finger to his chin. “Do you think you’re capable of this then?” A grin grew along his features, knowing all too well that this weapon was a simple request.

Oh, Roshi would never see a barrier between first and third-years, even if he hadn't cram-skipped a grade. He just doesn't brain that way, you know? For crying out loud, his friend Nobuyori - who is a young lord - calls this artist from a business family Senpai. Roshi talking to people on a lower seniority in the Bugei is not nearly as strange as nobility elevating him over themselves!

The ninjas, though... You never see 'em coming. Definitely not. Nobu was there when they shushed him with a note to the noggin. Nobody saw anything. But hey, it was good that Roshi had such an assortment of things to get himself into, which may or may not include trouble, judging by his entrance. He was actually kind of surprised that Mikachi had so few of his own hobbies.

"I think it's because I took to heart the words of a friend of mine: 'Boredom is the enemy, and he must be fought without relent', or...something like that."

Spoken by a guy who always wore a hat and a trenchcoat wherever he went, and we mean everywhere. Now, onto business! Mikachi handed him a book open to a page where the Tachi in question was described and pictured. It wasn't a perfect diagram, but Roshi uunderstood enough that he could do something like this without too much difficulty. This wasn't a massively-intricate weapon. It was just a particular style of sword. He had to ask, though...

"I can do it, but is it more functional or ceremonial? I guess I'm asking you how much 'sword' is in the sword and how much for looks is it?"

Roshi could craft weapons, this is true. He had managed to achieve a high-grade amount of skill, thus his production of items could be considered same. This meant that he was able to customize and be innovative as need-be. The question was, therefore, what did Mikachi want out of his blade?

Boredom is the enemy. That sounded similar to something his mother said before when she worked. She always mentioned to Mikachi that he should always be doing something, regardless of the task at hand. Sitting around? Write a story or hum a tune. Feeling lazy? Go clean something. No matter how trivial the task was, these developed good habits for Mikachi to pick up on as a teen, and eventually he started learning how to make the best out of any situation he’s given.

As he watched Roshi look to the blade in the book, he took a faint glance to watch his expression to look at the blade. He pointed to the katana blade and looked back up to Roshi as he spoke. “This will be for training, and if able, for use out in the field. I already have a ceremonial blade from my clan.” Again, to think that Mikachi would ever talk about choosing a blade was beyond himself. He never imagined he’d have this talk with anyone, and instead, he’d be talking about kitchen knives if the conversation deemed it worthy.

Whether or not how useful the blade would be in combat would be up to the smith himself; Roshi. “I suppose the amount of ‘sword’ I want in this blade is whatever amount you feel is good enough for a novice swordsman. I still have a few training lessons to do and a blade to actually use. So, just do what you believe is best.” Mikachi was allowing there to be a choice where Roshi would be able to add his own taste into the mixture of the creation of the sword. If he was able to do that, it would make for a fine blade, as well as a great story to tell whenever asked where he had gotten the blade.

“I just have one question; What’s your preference on weaponry? What do you believe is the best weapon to have out in a battle? I’m sure you’ve had quite a few battles, given your status.” With a tilt of his head, Mikachi looked in wonder, hoping that the man would at least give some insight on his previous battles or even training sessions that involved him figuring out what weapon to use to his liking. That way, Mikachi could personally find out if he’d be a good fit for a regular katana or perhaps even something better.

Ah, so they were to be focusing more on function than being overly stylish. For, as Mikachi said, they had a ceremonial blade that was for show, already. He was asking for a normal, useable, Tachi sword. The only thing that made him feel as though the other boy didn't one just a sword - particular design or not - was that he was asking for it to be made specifically for him. It was to be customized, to some extent, to be sure. Otherwise, he'd just buy one from a weapons' vendor. It didn't need to be fancy, but he probably wanted it to be signature, slightly unique, differing from the norm. He got that. Everyone has a style.

His question, though, forced Roshi to stifle ummm...an emotional reaction that was somewhere between surprise, shock, and snerking.

"I'm...sorry. I didn't realize my reputation in the Edo war with the monks had made people think of me that way."

Maybe some did. Maybe some even saw that warrior with the 'Art' bandanna on and thought he was a real badass. Who knows? Thing of it is, Roshi was trying so hard not to snicker or panic because Mikachi thought he was a great warrior, when he was only so in the face of other dedicated artists who do not fight in wars or take missions from the Bugei. Eventually, Roshi thumped his head on the table once, and then thumped himself in the back of the head with a book a few times to chill out, so he could explain.

"I haven't been in a large array of battles, Mikachi. I've been in one very intense battle for the fate of Edo, my hometown. I really am an artist and a crafter, by nature, and really only fight when I need to, which I have training for, at least."

And he's had to use it, too, but he wasn't going to mention the mission to that one base. That was expressively forbidden, what with it having been taken over...by Koga Ninjas, whom we are not allowed to speak of in public, as though they still existed.

"To my name, I have a few weapons, and I have these things because I don't have a big preference. I'll use anything I can get at, really. So, I have a staff, a pair of tekko-kagi and kunai, shell-shaped fist-guards, and uhh...a mortar cannon... I prefer the staff, myself. Light and balanced. Even the metal one. What I think is the best... Well...I dunno, really. I've seen friends of mine wield swords, daggers, pole-arms, and I know one with a whip, and what's important is that it suits them. Does the Tachi suit you Mikachi? Is it signature to you?"

He brought up 'signature' to confirm in his mind the bit about how particulare the sword must be to the other boy's own tastes, as opposed to just something you might buy off of the streets.

There hadn’t been too many places that Mikachi had known about in the academy to acquire the best of blades, but then again, he didn’t ask for a master weaponsmith to forge a blade of legacy. No, it had been the opposite. He wanted to acquire a weapon, specifically a blade in order to get a feel for the weapon to see just how he’d measure up along with the sharp object. If he could find someone who’d be able to make him a blade that was even of novice craftsmanship, Mikachi would’ve appreciated it.

Due to Roshi’s expression that gave off a sense of insecurity to Mikachi, in Mikachi’s mind, he felt as if he may have said something wrong. Was it for underestimating him? Were third-years an even more big deal in the academy? Nope. It was the opposite. He overestimated Roshi. But that was the custom he had to learn of as a cultured individual, as well as a clan member of the Anegakoji clan. Being modest towards other individuals allowed folks of different personas to take in the person being modest, in this case, Mikachi, in a more respectable form.

A finger raised almost as if attempting to speak before listening to Roshi’s chuckle, and slight background. He hadn’t been set in a vast number of battles with nothing but a katana blade? Perhaps the rumors that had been spread around within the clan blinded Mikachi’s view of the academy’s students into thinking that they had been fearless warriors with amazing tactical precision that they hardly even used armor. Actually, that last part had been Mikachi’s imagination, but that was beside the point!

“Forgive me then. There’ve been a few things that I’ve heard about Edo Bugei’s students when I had been in my province. I shouldn’t have assumed, but now I understand.” He gave a slight bow to Roshi as he watched him continue to speak.

So he had been in between where his experience revolved more around his craftsmanship and artistry while having to train just in case should the situation arise. That sounded similar to something he’d have to do in the near future. However, when the question of if the Tachi blade suited Mikachi, he hesitated before giving off a clear answer.

“I’m not really sure. Although, since my clan honored me with the possession of an artificial blade, wouldn’t it be wiser to compliment the use of it through training?”

His eyes trailed downward in recognition that he hadn’t been a part of the academy on his own accord, rather, it had been for the benefit of honoring his family and clan name. His fingers curled into a closed fist gently as his expression remained stoic in his own thinking process.“I suppose you could say it signifies my appreciation for my clan, as well as the preservation of its honor and teachings.”

Yikes. It sounded almost as if the clan had planned Mikachi’s settlement into the academy even before he had even brought up the topic to them. Had he really been in the academy on his own terms? Or did his clan set him up as an honor-bound lackey to promote their name? The thought boggled in Mikachi’s mind as he felt himself at a loss of himself. He raised to fingers rubbing his temple at the many thoughts of why he had come to Edo Bugei.

To be fair, they hadn't sent him into battle with any sort of preparedness that he hadn't already acquired, apart from replacing his wooden staff with a metal one for durability. The kunai and tekko-kagi had been taken from the former-Ikko-now-Koga base. Also, the shell gauntlets and the...artillery cannon...were post-war additions. He was *really* only so prepared...because he was an unpowered non-Scion guy with no special attachment to any particular sort of weapon. Unlike Kai or Nobuyori or Suishoku, he didn't focus on certain styles.

This left them with the question of Mikachi's attachment to the Tachi blade, and - to be honest - the explanation of it kind of reminded him...of a friend of his. Obligation to a clan was...something that he'd heard from Makoto Shiyo, who had been inducted into the Maeda Clan on retainer when she was born, and then gone fully into it when she became a Scion. He could accept that as reason enough. There was just one other thing, then...

"So, is there a particular design or style you want in the blade, to set it apart from others of its make? You have a flourish and a flair to call your own? Something that complements you in some way?"

Choosing a particular type of style was something Mikachi would usually know right off the back of his hand. But when it came to this new use of a weapon for combat, it just wasn’t corresponding in his mind correctly. He remembered the fine leather that had been laced together on the hilt of the blade his clan authorities had given to him, but there wasn’t much he could do with it due to his lack of training with such a long blade. And with that, he realized that the views of others had been important. So it was time to shake off the fear and simply go with it.

“Simple, yet efficient. Something that’ll let me to grasp it firmly whilst not having to worry about covering distance.” Mikachi took a slight glance over to the rest of the towering books, listening Roshi’s response to his comment. Again, why did he have so many books?

“Also… why did you grab this many books?” A faint smirk crept its way to his face, knowing all too well that one person would not be capable of reading so many books at the same time.